Former US diplomat reflects on post-9/11 policy errors and missed Taliban talks

Zalmay Khalilzad, who was a senior director on the National Security Council during the September 11 attacks and later served as US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Nations, told journalist Alex Marquardt that the United States’ fear-driven response produced a cascade of policy errors. He said the anger of the moment pushed the government to pursue aggressive actions, such as the rapid invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 Iraq war based on flawed intelligence about weapons of mass destruction.

Khalilzad expressed regret that the US rejected early overtures from the Taliban, believing negotiations might have altered the two-decade conflict. While he supported the 2021 troop withdrawal as a necessary end to a prolonged war, he noted that the Taliban’s return to power has, surprisingly, aligned with US counter-terrorism goals. Overall, he contended that a more measured, diplomatic approach could have changed the trajectory of US foreign policy after 9/11.